Sustainability and the Environment: "Morgan's Internship Report"

The focus of my internship was the production of educational videos about a very special relationship between certain birds in the Monteverde zone and a fruiting tree they rely heavily on for food. Several of these species, both bird and tree, are threatened or endangered. I worked with two other students to create videos geared towards three different audiences- elementary school, high school and local tour guides. By collaborating with the coordinator, supervisor, and with an environmental education specialist I was able to create four videos with age appropriate content, to educate the public on the importance of species that are endemic to the area they live in.

The videos were tailored to enhance the ideas in the curriculum of a local school called the Cloud Forest School, though there is hope that the videos will also be shared to the other high schools in the area to educate more of the public. The videos consisted of a mixture of slides, background commentary, nature films and interviews with local nature guides. The school teaches in both English and Spanish, so first I made two videos in English and then made the videos again in Spanish. This was perhaps the most challenging part of the internship since I am not fluent in Spanish, but it was rewarding knowing that I was able to reach every student, regardless of the language they grew up learning. The teachers I shared my videos with have been extremely appreciative of the work, as well as the positive impact on the kids and community.

Before the internship I had very little experience making and editing videos, but a considerable interest in biology and conservation. In the past I have made videos in my leisure time, so it was great getting to use those skills to make something productive for the community. Through this internship my knowledge of the different types of forest and bird habitats has expanded extensively. Now, I am able to identify numerous frugivorous (fruit eating) birds in the cloud forest and pre montane wet forest that are iconic to the area. I have become aware of the importance to protect all types of forest, not just cloud forest, because there are many birds that have migratory patterns that utilize various types of forest. Also my knowledge and ability to conduct interviews, as well as editing has grown exponentially.

My greatest accomplishment in this process has been linking the community to the nature around them. Monteverde’s biodiversity is extremely unique, so conveying why one specific species is so important to Monteverde’s birds, ecosystem and economy was significant. I think by educating these high school students I was able to help both the students, teachers, and biodiversity. Monteverde’s eco-tourism sector relies heavily on the ecosystem that supports biodiversity, and if it to be sustainable it must pay serious attention to that ecosystem. By making these video my two classmates and I were able to benefit a large and diverse, local and global, human and non-human, community.